


Of Postcards and Bubble Tea

by Blablu



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:28:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26466454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blablu/pseuds/Blablu
Summary: “When I was six”, begins Nile, iddly stirring her boba tea, “there was a boy.”Nile shares some memories, Andy listens.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Nile Freeman
Comments: 9
Kudos: 71





	Of Postcards and Bubble Tea

**Author's Note:**

> Initially written for [ Nile Freeman Week 2020](https://nilefreemanweek.tumblr.com/).

“When I was six”, begins Nile, iddly stirring her boba tea, “there was a boy.” 

Andy nods. She’s not entirely sure how she feels about boba tea yet, and has no idea where this conversation is going : nodding seems like the safest course of action. 

“His name was Djibril, and at the time I thought it was the most beautiful name in the world. He had a soft voice and a shy smile and I, being an enterprising girl, had decided that this meant I would fall in love with him.”

A late-afternoon light has settled over the park, giving everything an amber-colored glow. The way it falls on Nile’s forehead seems holy, like she’s been anointed, and that’s the kind of thoughts Andy really shouldn’t be having right now because they’re far too grand and pompous for the situation, for a quiet pause on a bench with a friend. “In my experience”, she says. “That’s not really how love works.”

Nile snorts. “I was a very determined six-year-old”, she replies, shaking her head slightly like she’s sharing a joke with her childhood-self. She hasn’t looked at Andy for a while now. Apparently, this is the sort of conversation one needs to have staring either at something in the distance or at the palm of one’s hand – the one that isn’t holding boba tea. “And Djibril was easy to love. He was a sweet boy. Mom adored him.”

The silence that unfurls is one they’ve all learned to respect. Whenever Nile mentions her family, she needs a moment to taste the absence and make it hers again. As far as coping mechanisms go, it’s better than not thinking about it, or getting into a fight, or literally drinking yourself to death. Respect is the least they can give.

“Anyway”, goes Nile, suddenly animated again, eyes so warm with memories it looks like the light bathing her comes from within. “Not even a year after we met, his parents moved. I was crushed. We both were. I mean, it’s debatable if two seven-year-old can truly be in love, or how much of this was just us imitating the adults but… we were great friends. I thought he was the best. So we wrote each other. Long, long, long letters. You know, I miss letters sometimes ? I used to spend hours customizing the envelope. And he would always place a postcard inside the letter. Fold the sheets in three, with the postcard in the middle. It was like unwrapping a gift.”

Andy takes a slow sip, trying not to make noises. She’s still not sure about boba tea, and still doesn’t know where this is going, and wishes Nile would look at her. But she feels like there’s a question she’s meant to ask. “What was on the cards ?”

Nile’s smile grows even brighter (and the light definitely, definitely comes from within). “Oh, many things. Pretty things, mostly. Sculptures, landscapes, paintings. I know we were just kids, but we both... I don’t know. Beauty was already important. And there’s one I still remember seeing for the first time.” She gets a crumpled flyer out of her pocket. On it, a young woman is watching her audience, chin resting on her right thumb. Her starry crown is adorned with flowers and her face with a slight, almost imperceptible smile. 

“Mucha”, says Andy. Even if the name hadn’t been written on the flyer, the style is always recognizable.

It’s Nile’s turn to nod. “Princezna Hyacinta. I’m not sure why, but the second I saw her it was… I just knew. Like love at first sight, but for a drawing. I brought the postcard everywhere with me, absolutely everywhere, and even taped a clear pocket to the wall next to my pillow, so that I could sleep next to her. I was a weird kid. Well, all kids are weird. Anyway,” she says again. “It’s in Prague.”

That’s not exactly surprising. Still, Nile seems to be expecting an answer, so Andy decides to state the obvious. “We’re in Prague too.”

“Yes. I’d like to go see it.”

Okay. This is weird. Since when does Nile needs her permission to do anything ?

“You do know I’m not really your boss, right ? Whatever you want to do on your free time, you...”

She stops there, because Nile is finally looking at her. “Andy”, she cuts in like she often does, with a kind of exasperated fondness. “I’d like to go see it with you.”

And she has no right to sound so put-upon, really, because this is the most round-about way of asking someone out Andy has ever heard. But she’s aware that the story – sweet Djibril and his beautiful postcards – meant something, even if she’s not quite sure what, so she isn’t going to complain, oh no. She leans on the back of the bench. 

“I’d love that”, she says, and lets Princess Hyacinth smile knowingly at them both.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the read ! [Here's Princess Hyacinth.](https://www.mucha.cz/en/image/catalog/exhibition/hyacinta.jpg)


End file.
